Hello from London and straight in with the advice.....

[Joey87]

Hello to you all!

I am very new to the world of hifi! But after a crazy year working in the NHS I decided to treat myself and build my first separates system.

I've been recommended by a couple of pals that the Rega RP1 for the turntable so I am looking for a amp to pair with this. But I'm on a little bit if a budget, about £150 or $200 andI know that I definitely want a inbuilt phono preamp.

I've spent a fair bit of time on forums so I know that the main advice is going to be go and have yourself a listen and see what your ears tell you, but with work, and the craziness of cover that is not going to be possible.

I have see a technics amplifier SU-V303 for sale, which cosmetically I think is very sexy, and includes a tuner which would be a nice touch.
Would this be a good entry level amp for me and a good pairing for the Rega?
Or would I be better off going for something newer like a Marantz pm5004/5005 or a Cambridge AM10? More likely to find a Cambridge in my price range it seems

If anyone has any advice or thoughts it would be much appreciated!!

Joey

 

[Lizard King]

AM10 seems to be discontinued. Cheapest model from CA with a phono stage is AXA35 for £279. For the same price you have Yamaha A-S301. Marantz PM5005 seems to be low on stock, handful available in Amazon for £220.
Within your budget you have Sony STR DH 190 for £179 and Pioneer A-10AE for £169.
They have similar feature list. Best thing would be to go over to your nearby Peter Tysons or Richersounds and ask for audition. The sound signature and build quality can only be checked out in person.

 

[Lizard King]

I guess you have to wait till 2nd December, haven't you? Merry Christmas in advance

 

[Joey87]

Thanks for this! My plan had be to do it second hand, my little protest again the throw away society. Is second hand a terrible idea?

 

[Nikhili]

Hello and welcome to the forum! How about the Rega io amp? From what I remember they had a bundled offer of the rp1, io amp and a pair of bookshelves. They do have the option of buying the components individually as well.

 

[hemya]

The SUV 303 should be a good vintage option. Check for reviews on audiokarma forums

The V4X from the vintage technics amps was highly rated as was the suv 505. See if you could get your hands on one of these in good condition.

Check this thread

80's Technics Integrated Amps

There seems to be heaps of different SU-V... model amps issued by Technics from the start of the 80's. Does anyone know in which way they are generally grouped? Perhaps either by type, high end/low end? Having enjoyed 70's amps, would like to know a little bit more about this era and perhaps...

audiokarma.org

 

[RRR]

Hi
Welcome to the forum.
Since you are on a budget of £200, you could look for a preowned Rega Brio.
Which speakers do you have or plan to acquire?
Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks and Superfi very often have incredible offers on discontinued models to clear stock.
Cheers